Improvement in perpetual almanacs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

yWILLIAM GIBSON, OF LANARK, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY BAXTER AND JOHNA. FITCH, OF HIGHGATE, VERMONT.

lMPROVEMENT IN PERPETUAL ALMANACS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,430, dated October10, 1865.

To all 'whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM GIBSON, of Lanark, in the shire of Lanark,Scotland, have invented a new and useful Perpetual Almanac orOffice-Calendar andI do hereby declare the same to be fully described inthe following specification and represented in the accom panyingdrawings, of which- Figure l denotes a front elevation, and Fig. 2 avertical and transverse section, of it. Fig.

3 is a front view of its perforated disk and the surrounding ring. Fig.4 is a representation of the figures and the arrangement thereof asplaced on the back or unperforated disk to which the ring is fastened orfrom which it projects.

The apparatus or calendar above mentioned is composed of, first, onecircular card or disk, marked A on the drawings. This card has severalcolumns of gures, commencingatsuch a distance from the circumference ot'it as to admit of a ring being pasted on the card, which ringcircumscribes the figures and is hereiuafter referred to, and marked B.The said columns of gures run radially toward the center of the disk A,and are arranged at equal distances from each other, and so far from thecenter ofthe disk as to admit of a circular space to be covered by acircle containing the centuries and ranges, such circle being part ofthe perforated card or disk, and being represented in Fig. 3. The saidradial columns contain the following figures, arranged as shown in Fig.4:

.vf t ,zi 73 a s t e e a J: e s g E, I=4 i', w l-i La s. m m

. Loo 4th 91 97 9s 9J Rang@ E 95 :JG-L 85 oaf-L s7 93 94 se 9c so-I. s6si se-L es isi-I. 79 74 75 76-L se 77 7s 7a s3 e9 7o 71 72-L c7 es-L 5764-1. 59 c5 tc t1 62 52-L 5s 53 i fio-L 55 56-1. 5I 4s 47 4L); 54 49 5o4.. 35 41 42 43 44-L "se 4o-L en .se-L .n 37 3s a3 34 24-1. 3o e5 se-I.e7 2s-L sa Ie 19 ro-L et e1 es I7 7 1a I4 15 Ir-L 11 Ie-I. I s-L 3 9 1o5 c a@ a ,t 4 1.

The said card or disk A has a hole through its center to admit of anaxle, E,`proceeding from a standard, F, raised perpendicularly on abase, G. The ringnrarked B hasits diameter equal to that ofthe card A,and is of suitable width to encompass the radial series of figures ofthe card A. The seven days of the week are printed on the face of thering B. The twelve months of the year and the respective days of eachmonth-running in the following order: Monday, May 3l; Tuesday, August31; Wednesday, February 28-29, March 31, November 30; Thursday, June 30;Friday, September 30, December 3l; Saturday, April 30, July 31; Sunday,January 3l, October 31-are also arranged on the ring in manner as shownin Fig. 3.

A circular card, C,.is encompassed by the ring A, and is provided with acircular aperture to receive the axle and allow the ring to be revolvedthereon. The said card O has seven triangular apertures running towardits center at equal distances from each other, and large enough toexhibit through thc card the columns of figures of card A. The said cardO has on its outer edge the first seven letters of the alphabet, one atthe base of each of the apertures. Thus the said letters run in regularalphabetical order around-thus, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Seven columnsof figures,ex-

hibiting the thirty-one days of the month, are.

placed at proper distances on the said card O, and otherwise arranged,as shown in Fig. 3, on card marked O. Thus, between A and G are 1, 8,15, 22, and 29. Between G and F are 2, 9, 16, 23, 30. Between F and Eare 3,. 10, 17, 24, 31. Between E andD are 4., 1l, 18,25. Between D andC are 5, 12, 19, 26. Between O and B are 6, 13, 20, 27. Between B and Aare 7, 1,4, 21, 28. Toward the center, at termination of aperture A, is21st century, 1st range. Attermination of aperture Fis 18th century, 2ndrange. At termination of aperture D is 19th century, 3rd range.77 At thetermination of aperture B is 20th century, 4th range.77

E is the axle upon which the two disks be fore alluded to, whenputtogether and attached, turn, the revolution of them, herein referredto, being necessary to point out the daily dates for an office orcountinghouse.

F in the drawings is the back part or standard of the frame, it servingto support the center-pin or axle E.

His a detachable part ofthe frame, and supports a card-holding case orboX, K. This card-box K is to eontainsix cards having the name and numberofdays oftwo months printed on each, those of one month being on oneside ot' a card, and those of another month being ou the opposite sideof such card.

A vertical slider, marked L iu the drawings, and having an aperture madethrough it near its top, is applied to the detachable part H, so as tobe capable of being moved vertically thereon. It serves to point out themonth- 1y dates or days of the month, which, ou revolving the disks,Will be indicated at the aperture of the slider.

The disks and the ring, when attached or applied together as aforesaid,represent two circular cards, one of which is capable of being revolvedWithin the other. The first seven.

letters of the alphabet are agents, which, in connection with the mouthson the larger circle, aided by the colums of figures on the disk A,called the index,77 serve to point out the dates from year to year, thesame as a yearly almanac, the Whole being a yearly register of everydate in any particular year, according to the present mode of computingtime, from the rst year ofthe Christian era unto ages of timethereafter, and enabling aperson, when simply knowing the last fourfigures of any year, to ascertain any date in such year.

The slide-case and cardbox united iu the frame afford an excellent modeof marking or denoting daily dates for an otlce or counting- I house,when used according to theinstructions hereinafter given. t

In order by the instrument to ascertain dates from any past, present, orfuture year, the detachable part H, with its card-box and slide, shouldbe removed from the disks and their supporting-frame, the part H beingapplied thereto in any manner by which it may be readily removed orreplaced, as occasion may require. The removal of the part H having beenso effected, we may proceed as follows:

Take the following examples: First, to find what day of the week the16th of June, A. D. 1860, fell on, 1860 being in the nineteenth century,turn the circle With apertures'in it so as to bring the 19th centuryunder Monday of outside rim and under the sun in the inside column ofgures, We shall find 6() in the inside column of figures, and find theletter above it G; but as 60 is aleap year G is only the letter forJanuary and February, and the first to the left-viz., A-is the letterfor the rest of the year. Then turn the circle With apertures so that Awill come under the mouth desired on the outside rim-viz., June-We thensee that the 16th of June, 1860, fell on Saturday.

Example in future time: say March 20, 37,955, which is the three hundredand eightieth century, which, divided by 4, to find the range, leaves noremainder, which `shows it to be in the fourth range. Turn the circle sothat the fourth range may come under Mon` day on outside rim. Find 55 incolumn of figures, and above it is C, we find the letter for that yearis O. Turn the circle so that C vmay come under the month desired onoutside rim-viz., March-and we find the 20th of March, 37,955, will fallon Sunday.

For ofice use it is only necessary to turn the whole circle one placeeach day, and move the slide down once a Week, bringing the date underaperture iu slide or index.

I claim- 1. The combination and arrangement of the perforated andunperforated disks, the ring, and the slider, the Whole being applied toa supporting standard or frame, and being made and marked substantiallyas described.

2. In combination with the disks, the ring,

supporting-frame, and slider, the detachable piece H, carrying thecard-box and the slider, the Whole being substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

WM. GIBSON.

Witnesses:

N D. WAIT, M. S. WAIT.

